CPI Veteran Mokeri to Run Against Priyanka in Wayanad

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI has announced that senior party leader and national council member Sathyan Mokeri will contest against Priyanka Gandhi in the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election.

The decision to nominate Mokeri was made at the CPI state executive meeting on Thursday. The proposal is set to be presented to the state council for ratification.

Sathyan Mokeri, who contested from Wayanad in 2014, lost by a margin of 20,000 votes. Mokeri has represented the Nadapuram constituency in the Assembly for three terms.

In the previous election, CPI's Annie Raja contested against Rahul Gandhi, who won the seat with a margin of 364,000 votes. Gandhi's decision to retain the Rae Bareli seat necessitated a by-election in Wayanad. Meanwhile, the BJP has yet to announce its candidate for Wayanad. In the last Lok Sabha polls, the BJP fielded its state president, K Surendran.